From the Reference Desk

Informed Delivery from the United States Postal Service

Want to know what’s arriving in your mailbox in the next day or two? Take advantage of a new FREE service offered by the USPS and see what will be arriving in your mailbox before you arrive home from work. “If it’s in the mail, it’s in your email.TM” Informed Delivery allows users to digitally preview their mail and manage packages scheduled to arrive soon. Informed Delivery sends greyscale images of the exterior, address side of letter-sized mailpieces to the user’s dashboard or email inbox, and tracks packages. These can be viewed...

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WhistleOut – Compare Phone/Internet/TV Service Plans

WhistleOut is a search engine designed to take the effort out of finding the services you need to connect with the world. They provide accurate, unbiased search results and work with all of the major telecommunications providers so users receive a full picture of the right product for them, at the right price.  Deals and discounts are included when available. WhistleOut was started in 2008 with the single goal of providing easy-to-follow comparisons of complex telecommunication service products. Not only can users compare...

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Michigan Electronic Library – MeL

Ever wonder where the books come from that you request from outside the Monroe County Library System? Wonder how your library can afford to subscribe to all those great databases like Chilton Repair, Demographics Now, Gale Legal Forms and HeritageQuest (to name just a few)? Have you heard your librarian talk about MeL or requesting a book via MeLCat and wondered what that means? The Michigan Electronic Library (MeL) is the backbone for libraries across the State of Michigan. MeL is funded by IMLS or the Intstitute of Museam &...

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Eat/Buy Safe Fish in Michigan

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is pleased to announce the release of the 2018 regional Eat Safe Fish Guides. These guides can help residents plan their fish meals to ensure they are minimizing exposure to chemicals that can build up in fish, while still getting all of the health benefits eating fish provides. “The guide essentially provides a nutrition label for chemicals in locally-caught fish,” said Nick Lyon, director at MDHHS. “The Eat Safe Fish Guides are easy to use and important...

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Michigan Free Legal Answers Service

MI Free Legal Answers is a new way for low-income residents of Southeast Michigan to get answers to their legal questions. It operates like an online legal aid clinic, and visitors to the site, that income-qualify (earning less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines), can post their questions, and have real Michigan lawyers provide an answer. The website is free and easy to use. It is designed to be mobile friendly. Visitors can log on from any device, at any time; all they need is an internet connection and an e-mail...

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Earth Day – April 22, 2018 – Ending Plastic Pollution

On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated, and for the last 47 years, it has grown into an environmental movement. According to the Earth Day Network’s website, Earth Day is the “largest civic observance in the world” with more than a billion citizens worldwide participating in activities. This year, on the 48th anniversary of the first Earth Day, the focus will be on ending Plastic Pollution. Education is one of Earth Day Network’s mission points, and the campaign will work to educate the world about the health risk of...

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Michigan Department of Education's Parent Dashbord

Michigan Department of Education officially launched their new “Parent Dashboard” for School Transparency in early January, 2018.  The dashboard is Michigan’s newest tool in its commitment to provide transparency about school and district performance. The contents of this dashboard can inform decisions and encourage conversations about how we help all students succeed. Whether you are looking for student-to-staff ratios, attendance information, school assessment scores, or access to college-credit or career-tech programs, the...

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2018 Winter Olympics XXIII – PyeongChang, South Korea

February 9 – February 25, 2018 The Official Website of the 2018 Winter Olympics contains news, results, photos and videos, and allows viewers to check out the highlights from past Olympics. It also shows the locations for upcoming games which will be held in: Tokyo – 2020 (summer) Beijing – 2022 (winter) Paris – 2024 (summer) Follow the Olympic Torch Relay as it makes its journey. The Olympic Torch was lit on October 24, 2017 in Ancient Greece and is quickly making its way to PyeongChang, South Korea.  Other interesting...

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Food Safety

Has the recent Hepatitis A alert at the Monroe Tim Horton’s left you afraid to eat out? Wondering how to find out more about that and other food-related illnesses? The Food Safety News website is a reliable source for daily information about food recalls, food-borne illness outbreaks, food science, technology, food policy and more. Founded in 2009 by food safety attorney, Bill Marler, this team of reporters continues to consolidate current food safety news, including the recent Hepatitis A situation in Monroe, all together in one...

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NORAD Tracks Santa

https://www.noradsanta.org/ "Twas the night before Christmas, and Santa was near According to NORAD, he would soon be right here So we hopped into bed and dreamt of new toys And awoke in the morning to much Christmas joy” How did it come about that NORAD - the North American Aerospace Defense Command would keep tabs on Santa on Christmas Eve? According to their website, a youngster following directions in a newspaper ad with an incorrect phone number printed, called the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in...

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